Steam pipe arrangement for locomotives



June 25,; EU. g 5555 E ZZOS SMO STEAM PIPE ARRANGEMENT FOR LOCOMOTIVESFiled March 29, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

HdVENTOR 20 L. L. NEEBE ATTORNEY Patented June 25, 1940 UNITED STATESTENT STEAM PIPE ARRANGEMENT FOR LOCOMOTIVES Lawrence L. Neebe, Woodbury,N. J.

Application March 29,

7 Claims.

This invention relates generally to high pressure steam pipearrangements for articulated locomotives and more particularly to thatgeneral type of steam pipe arrangement wherein 5. high pressure steam isconducted from the front end of the boiler rearwardly along each sidethereof to the rear cylinders and thence forwardly through a centralsupply pipe leading from the rear cylinder saddle to the forward .10cylinders.

In the foregoing type of steam pipe arrangement considerable difiicultyhas heretofore been encountered on account of the difference intemperature between the steam pipes and the cooler cylinder structurethereby resulting in serious relative expansion and contraction of thatpor tion of the piping which cross-connects the two longitudinal supplypipes with the central forwardly extending pipe. Such expansion orconraction has caused excessive strains and cracking in thecross-connecting pipes. A great many different arrangements haveheretofore been proposed and used to overcome this difficulty but sucharrangements have been complicated or costly or the very nature of theproposed arrangements have introduced additional difficulties. Hence theprior attempts have not been entirely satisfactory.

It is an object of my invention to provide an improved combination ofsteam pipes in an articulated locomotive so as to eliminate thedifficulties and troubles which heretofore have been incident to theexpansion and contraction of the steam pipes which lead from the twolongitudinal side pipes to the central pipe. It is a further object ofmy invention to provide an improved combination of steam pipes that isnot only effective in eliminating difficulties incident to expansion andcontraction but which is also all) economical in construction, operationand maintenance and is fully accessible for inspection and repair.

Other objects and advantages will be more apparent to those skilled inthe art from the following description of the accompanying drawings inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of the front end of anarticulated locomotive embodyl ing my improved piping arrangement;

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section taken substantially on the line,2-.2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of my im proved piping arrangementadjacent the rear cylinders.

1939, Serial No. 264,865

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section taken substantially on the line 4& ofFig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken substantially on the line 55 of Fig.2.

In the particular embodiment of the invention, 5 such as is disclosedherein merely for the purpose of illustrating one specific form amongpossible others that the invention might take in practice, I havediagrammatically shown in Fig.

1 the front end of an articulated locomotive having usual front and rearpairs of cylinders i and 2 respectively mounted upon the frames of thepower units which are pivotally connected together in any customarymanner such as by a connecting rod 3. The piping arrangement comprisesin general two longitudinal steam supply pipes 4 located respectivelyalong each side of the boiler 5 and extending from the forward endthereof to Ts 6. The steam for the rear pair of cylinders flows in itscustomary manner through passages l which are connected to the valvechests la of the rear cylinders. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3 my improvedcombination has the longitudinal side pipes connected by a crossoverpipe which extends rearwardly at 3i and 32 and then turns inwardly anddownwardly to provide curved or bent portions 8 and .9. These portionsare shown herein as being specifically located rearwardly of the rearcylinder structure and communicate with a common central pipe illthrough any suitable connection generally indicated at II. Thisconnection specifically comprises a T 12 bolted to an elbow l3whichforms the rear end of pipe l3 whose forward end is provided with aball and socket casing M. This casing has a flange 33 suitably securedby welding or bolts to a transverse wall It of the rear cylinderstructure. The pipe It also extends freely through an opening Hi formedin the back wall l? of the rear cylinder saddle and is other" 0 wiseentirely free to expand relative thereto except for its single immovableattachment to wall it], there being a slidable attachment to the saddlegenerally indicated at it. This slidable connection 58 comprises, asshown in Fig. 5, a shouldered bolt is which may be tightly secured towall 20 while still permitting slidable movement of feet 22 by reason ofan enlarged or elongated opening 23' therein. The opening it and alsothe opening 23 in the front wall are of sufficient size to permit pipeIll together with its flanged elbow l3 and feet 22 to pass rearwardlythrough opening 23 during the assembling operation.

The pipe i0 is connected to a forwardly extendpipes.

ing centrally located supply pipe 24 which is connected in any usualmanner to the front cylinder i, it being understood that pipes l9 and 21 are suitably connected together by a combined packing gland andspherical joint 25 of a form well known in the art. Also, the forwardand rear cylinders have their customary individual exhaust pipesgenerally indicated at 27. Other usual elements may be employed inconnection with the steam pipe arrangement of my invention, but it willsuffice to point out only one of these elements which as shown in Fig.2, comprises a pair of opposed longitudinally extending guides 28supported in the cylinder saddle in a plane above the connection II.These guides slidably support a cross-head (not shown) for operating thereverse rod which controls the valve mechanism for the forward pair ofcylinders.

The advantages of my improved combination are that pipes 8 and 9, Fig.2, by being curved or bent downwardly toward their central. portionpermit maximum lateral flexibility of the piping during expansion andcontraction there-of while equal flexibility occurs in longitudinaldirections by reason of pipes 8 and 9 being connected to longitudinalpipe portions 3!, 32 and it which are rigidly connected to the cylinderand saddle structure only at the remote front ends of said These forwardconnections are made through flanged connections 3E), 38) and 33, Fig.3. Thus unrestrained lateral expansion of the pipesB and 9 can takeplace while the pipe ill by reason of being connected only at itsforward end to wall l5 can expand freely in a rearward direction withoutimposing undue strains in the piping. The guide bolts i8 allow the rearportion of the pipe ill to move freely while at the same time suitablyguiding and steadying the entire piping arrangement. It will be observedin Fig.

4 that the bed frame 29 adjacent connection I! issuitably curvedupwardly as at 34 to provide ample space for the connection II. It willalso be understood that the frames of the articulated power units may beeither of the integral cast type or of the bar frame type. Also, asshown in Fig. 4, my improved piping arrangement will not in any wayrestrict accessibility or operation of the connecting link 3 insofar asits rear pivotalrecess 35 is concerned.

From the foregoing disclosure it is seen that I have provided anextremely'simple, economical and very effective piping arrangement forarticulated locomotives that will completely avoid severe strainsarising from the temperature differential which normally exists betweenthe pipes and the. relatively cooler cylinder and saddle structure.

It will of course be understood by those skilled in the art that variouschanges may be made in details of construction and arrangement of partswithout departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in theappended claims.

Iclaim:

1. A high-pressure steam supply pipe arrangement for articulatedlocomotives having a rear cylinder structure with a pair of cylinders towhich steam is supplied respectively through longitudinal pipes locatedalong the sides of the locomotive and terminating in connections rigidlysecured to said rear cylinders, and a forward pair of cylinders to whichsteam is supplied through a longitudinal pipe extending forwardly fromthe rear cylinder structure comprising, in combination, a lateralcross-over pipe rigidly connected at its ends to said rear cylinderconnections for said longitudinal side pipes, said crossover pipecurving inwardly and downwardly toward the centerline of the locomotiveso as to have lateral flexibility during expansion and contractionthereof, a central pipe connected to said forwardly extending stemsupply pipe and to said cross-over pipe at an intermediate portionthereof, and means for rigidly connecting only the forward end of saidcentral pipe to the rear cylinder structure whereby said central pipemay expand freely rearwardly.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 further characterized in thatsaid central pipe is rigidly connected to the intermediate portion ofsaid cross-over pipe and said cross-over pipe is adapted to flex freelyrearwardly relative to the rear cylinder structure upon longitudinalexpansion of the central pipe.

3. The combination set forth in claim 1 further characterized by theprovision of means for movably supporting the rear end of said centralpipe during expansion and contraction thereof.

4. The combination set forth in claim 1 further characterized in thatsaid rear cylinder connections for said longitudinal side pipes compriseTs to Which said cross-over pipe is rigidly secured at its two endswhereby the only rigid connections of said cross-over pipe and saidcentral pipe to said cylinder structure are at said TS and at theforward end of said central pipe.

5. A high-pressure steamsupply pipe arrangement for articulatedlocomotives having a rear cylinder structure with a pair of cylinders towhich is rigidly connected a pair of longitudinal pipes located alongthe sides of the locomotive and a forward pair of cylinders to whichsteam is supplied through a longitudinal pipe extending forwardly fromthe rear cylinder structure comprising, in combination, a cross-overpipe rigidly connected to the rearward ends of said longitudinal sidepipes and extending inwardly and downwardly therefrom toward thecenterline of the locomotive, a central pipe connected to said forwardlyextending steam supply pipe and to said cross-over pipe at anintermediate portion thereof, and means for rigidly connecting only theforward end of said central pipe to the rear cylinder structure, wherebysaid central pipe may expand freely rearwardly and said downwardlyextending cross-over pipe may expand laterally relative to said rearcylinder structure.

6. The combination set forth in claim 5 further characterized in thatsaid cross-over pipe includes portions which extend rearwardly from saidlongitudinalside pipes and then turn inwardly and downwardly.

7. The combination set forth in claim 5 further characterized in thatthe rear cylinder structure is provided with front and rear verticalwalls having openings therein to allow said central pipe to be passedthrough said openings in a rearward direction during assembly of thepiping, and said means which rigidly connects only the forward end ofsaid central pipe to the rear cylinder structure includes a flange onthe forward end of said central pipe for engaging said front verticalwall on the forward side thereof.

LAWRENCE L. NEEBE.

